Participation In NHL Camps Likely To Boost UConn Hockey

STORRS — — In June, the UConn men's hockey team officially accepted an invitation to join power conference Hockey East. The move was a huge step for a program considered on the fast track to the top tier of college hockey.

In July, the team got more good news: One current and one former Husky got an opportunity that will only help bring more national exposure and prominence to a program on the rise.

Rising junior forward Brant Harris and forward Marcello Ranallo, who graduated in May, were selected to participate in summer prospect development camps with NHL teams. Harris competed at the Washington Capitals' camp July 9-14; Ranallo went to the Stanley Cup runner-up New Jersey Devils' camp July 16-21. The experience will benefit not only the players, but also the program, giving extra publicity to UConn men's hockey and helping the team's stock continue to rise.

The camps feature recent draft picks, free agent prospects and top college players participating in workouts, practices and scrimmages. They provide a different opportunity for each of those types of player, but universally, it's a chance for young players to get their names out there, show what they can do and get better.

"The whole camp overall was awesome, a good experience," Ranallo said. "I met some great people, some really good players that you'll definitely see in the future.

"Going to camp like that definitely opens some doors and puts your name out there for other people to see. I thought I played well, so hopefully it opens some doors."

Ranallo hopes the exposure from the camp will make an NHL club more likely to give him a chance next season. For Harris, who also hopes to go pro after graduating, the camp was more of a learning experience and an early chance to put himself on the national radar.

"With me going back to UConn, it was more of taking as much as I can for the future years," Harris said. "But as a graduated player, you're kind of playing for your career, for your life, so it's definitely a different mentality.

"I definitely learned a lot and could just kind of take it all in, where Marcello did that also, but he had a little extra pressure."

UConn head coach Bruce Marshall is delighted that Ranallo and Harris got such a high-level opportunity. He said that while his players have gotten interest from NHL development camps in the past, attending them was a new thing for Huskies. It's another milestone for the program.

With the move to Hockey East, UConn will start offering men's hockey scholarships for the first time, which is sure to help land top-flight talent. Ranallo's and Harris' opportunities came at the right time to help UConn build buzz around its hockey program.

"It's great for us going to the next step recruiting-wise because now we'll have scholarships to offer for the first time in this recruiting cycle," Marshall said. "We'll be able to say we had two kids going to a pro camp that we recruited that didn't get any scholarships. But we've been able to attract talent to Storrs regardless, and we're investing in you.

"If you've got a little bit of what [Ranallo and Harris'] cloth was cut from, you'll be able to have an opportunity to do something similar."

While neither Ranallo nor Harris will get a chance to play in Hockey East, with 2014-15 scheduled to be UConn's first season in the conference, they're both excited about the program's future.

"As a freshman coming in, I kind of knew that UConn was building as a team, so it's nice to watch it all unfold in front of me and to be a part of it," Harris said. "It's going to be great for the future guys here and the freshmen and sophomores that are going to Hockey East.

"I think [going to the development camp] is a big step. It was definitely an eye-opener. I think it's not only going to help me but the guys on our team, just being able to share some of the experiences that I got, so I think it will benefit not only me as a player but hopefully us as a team."